This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon, March 30, 2009 - Editor's Note:
The St. Louis Beacon is please to add the baseball musings of Alvin Reid. Today's offering is pretty much straight baseball talk, and he will be doing some of that. But Alvin will also look beyond the field to talk about the impact of the Cardinals and baseball on the St. Louis region and the connection the team has with its fans.
Why baseball? As James Earl Jones intoned in "Field of Dreams": "The one constant through all the years has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It's been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game, is a part of our past. It reminds us of all that once was good, and what could be again."
Don't let the late-season snow fool you, Cardinal Nation. Opening Day is just a week away. The long winter wait is near its end and the St. Louis Cardinals will soon be migrating north for the summer.
Personally, I can't wait. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about the Redbirds. I've written a column devoted to the Cardinals for more than a decade and the great folks at the St. Louis Beacon have given me a chance to share my thoughts with readers for the coming season.
So, let's start the season by answering 10 questions about the National League's most successful franchise.
Will the Cardinals win the National League Central?
No. The Chicago Cubs should easily win the division. Forget that the Cubs were alarmingly swept by the L.A. Dodgers in the divisional playoffs last year. Needling Cubs fans about 101 years without a World Series title won't help either. With the exception of MVP Albert Pujols, the Cubs lineup is better from top to bottom.
Can the Cardinals be the NL Wildcard?
Absolutely. The Cardinals surprised me and millions of other fans by battling the Cubs and Milwaukee Brewers for first place through August. The team still had a chance to win the wild-card slot through mid-September. But a constant stream of injuries finally caught up with the Cardinals. If - and that's a huge if - the Cardinals stay healthier than last season, they will compete for the postseason again.
How should Cardinals fans approach the season?
This is the all-Star Game season. While the object is winning the World Series in any season, the 2009 campaign will be so focused on the All-Star Game in July that the event might be used to soothe all the ills of the team. The Cards start slowly? The All-Star Game is in July. Players are beseiged by injuries again? Maybe they'll be back after the All-Star Game. The payroll is down while other teams in the division have increased spending? At least you have the All-Star Game.
Speaking of injuries, is Chris Carpenter really back?
The former Cy Young winner has missed most of two seasons because of shoulder and elbow ailments but has been lights out in spring training - Sunday's rocky outing notwithstanding. I thought he would not make it through spring without a medical setback. He reminded me I'm not a doctor. I think he's back and that's great news for the Cardinals.
Well, what about Troy Glaus?
Now, this is where I'm concerned. Glaus' mysterious shoulder injury led to offseason surgery and left the Cardinals looking at an open slot at third base. St. Louis native David Freese is now the most likely starter. But a lengthy stay on the disabled list for Glaus would be a serious setback for the team. By the way, several people close to the Cardinals tell me Glaus has a low threshold for pain and really doesn't dig playing in the cold. If true, look for his shoulder to suddenly mend when it warms up in mid-May.
Is Skip Schumaker really a second baseman?
So far, so good. While he was dreadful early this spring, the converted outfielder is holding his own at second base. But the stakes are much higher when the real games begin and the pressure to make solid plays behind a ground-ball-oriented pitching staff will build. Manager Tony La Russa wants Schumaker at second base so that's where he will be Opening Day. It's up to his glove and arm to keep him there all season.
Is shortstop Khalil Greene any good?
He wasn't last year, hitting a woeful .213. Greene is also not as strong defensively as last year's shortstop Cesar Izturis. The Cards are praying that he will return to form offensively and plays steady shortstop. The red flag with Greene is that he has never hit above .234. Yes, he hit more than 20 home runs two seasons ago, but we don't know if that was an aberration or if last year's pitiful performance at the plate was the oddball season.
How about the outfield?
Rick Ankiel, Ryan Ludwick and Chris Duncan will be your Opening Day starters. They are dangerous when at-bat and average when in the field. But the outfield is an overall strength, not a weakness. Carpenter's return meant the Cardinals didn't have to trade for a starter, which is the main reason none of the three aforementioned outfielders were traded. The often-injured Duncan has a piece of titanium in his spine, which makes me wonder whether he will play when there is the slightest chance of lightning.
So what happens to Colby Rasmus?
The Cardinals "can't-miss" outfield prospect was shocked to be sent to the minors at the beginning of the 2008 season. He went into a funk, played poorly and his father felt the need to insult the manager and organization on several occasions. These are not ways to get on La Russa's good side. I just get the feeling that Rasmus will begin the season at Triple-A Memphis. If he doesn't go off the deep end again, he'll be in St. Louis to stay by June 1.
Will the Cardinals have an African-American player on the opening day roster?
OK, this is a question I ask during each offseason. While the energetic and intelligent Brian Barton will begin the season at Triple-A Memphis, "Joltin' " Joe Thurston will most likely make the team as a utility player.
Thurston, a second baseman, signed with the Cardinals this winter after being named MVP of the Boston Red Sox Triple-A Pawtucket franchise. He has spent the bulk of his seven-year career in the minor leagues but the problem the last few seasons has been that Boston has one of the game's best second basemen in reigning American League MVP Justin Pedroia. So look for Thurston to ride in the back of a red Mustang on April 6.
And look for me in the press box once again this season. Thanks to the St. Louis Beacon.
Alvin A. Reid is a weekend host on the new ESPN 101.1 FM. His weekly Major League Baseball - St. Louis Cardinals column, which is now published on The Beacon website, was honored by the Missouri Press Association as Best Sports Column in 2004 and 1999. He is co-author of the book, "Whitey's Boys: A Celebration of the 1982 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals" and was member of the inaugural staff of USA TODAY Baseball Weekly.